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My Coke Rewards
My Coke Rewards is a customer loyalty marketing campaign for the Coca Cola soft drink. Customers enter codes found on specially marked packages of Coca-Cola products on MyCokeRewards.com. These codes are converted into virtual "points" which can in turn be redeemed by members for various prizes or sweepstakes entries. Each cap is worth 3 points. Each 12 pack is worth 10 points. Each 20 pack is worth 18 points. The program was first launched on February 10, 2006. The "My Coke Rewards" promotion was supposed to end by December 31, 2007; however, the program was extended until December 19, 2008. The My Coke Rewards promotion was once again extended from December 19, 2008 to December 31, 2009 but codes must be entered by November 30, 2009. Since then, the promotion has continued, with the current extension lasting until December 31, 2015. Limitations On February 16th, 2009, a significant change occurred at My Coke Rewards. Instead of being limited to entering 10 codes per day, participants will be allowed to enter as many codes as they wish as long as they do not exceed 120 points per week. Double points days and promotional offers will not be subject to the 120 point weekly limit. Additionally, rewards with a point value exceeding 2000 were eliminated. Participants who had more than 2000 points were given an opportunity to redeem their points for higher-end appliances and electronics (ranging from 2,000 to 25,000 points) for the week prior to the implementing of the new 120 point-per-week system. This is actually a large decrease rather than an increase in the number of points allowed in a week (contrary to the spin put on it by Coke). For example, 2 liter bottle caps worth 3 points at 10 codes a day equals 30 points a day or 210 points in a week if 10 codes where entered each of the 7 days. Now one is limited to 120 points or 40 caps rather than 70. Customers have complained to Coca-Cola that the program is fraudulent due to these limitations and argue that a program set up to breed potential lifelong Coca-Cola customers is instead causing them to lose interest in the Coke brand. My Coke Rewards will have a meter that tells the member when they have reached the 120 point-per-week limit. Many customers complain that the prizes they have been saving up for are out of stock or no longer available. Other customers have stated that when the prizes that were out of stock return that they cost more points. One example is a $75 dollar Blockbuster gift card that went out of stock at 722 points, and returned at 1020 points, or a GPX docking station which disappeared at 975 points, and returned at 1820 points. Also, MyCokeRewards features an expiration date of codes that are entered. Currently, points expire after 90 days of user account inactivity, meaning a customer must either add points to their account or claim a prize within 90 days to ensure their points do not expire. Controversy The program is one of several marketing campaigns that have come under fire from the Center for Digital Democracy, an advocacy group interested in regulating how food products are marketed to children. Coca-Cola's online marketing techniques are included in a 98-page report issued in May 2007 by the center and the American University called "Interactive Food & Beverage Marketing: Targeting Children and Youth" which criticizes the program for collecting personal information from children and for promoting obesity. Childhood obesity was also a concern for weight-loss instructor Julia Griggs Havey who sued Coca-Cola over the program in 2006, but dropped her lawsuit a few weeks later. The lawsuit was dropped for the specific reason of it being frivolous, since there was a misinterpretation as to what was required of a user in order to accumulate Coke points and obtain the currently available reward prizes. The first assumption—that those who have Coke codes must purchase the product in order to redeem them—was shown to be untrue, as Coke stated they took into consideration that users may obtain codes from others. Second, it was pointed out that the Coca-Cola Company has other products besides Coca-Cola, including Powerade, Minute Maid juice, and Dasani water that are available for those who do not wish to consume high amounts of high fructose corn syrup or caffeine.